Only Hope Remains
by AnnCarter
Summary: Seeing Belle with Will, Rumple was almost certain he'd lost her for good. But perhaps he still has hope. Set in the end of 4x15 "Enter the Dragon"


**AN:** At this rate Robert Carlyle is gonna make me cry in every episode until Belle and Rumple get back together. They will, right? Please?

 _All rights for Once Upon a Time are ABC's. I own nothing._

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"So you're over him, then? Rumpelstiltskin?" He asked, his heart thudding in his chest. It's only been six weeks, but seeing her with Will made him fear the worst. He wouldn't have blamed her if she did.

She looked at him sadly. "I don't know if I can ever be over him," She admitted quietly, and he could feel his heart breaking. He thought such admission would make him happy, but knowing how badly he'd hurt her, he knew that even if she never got over him, it didn't mean there was still hope for them. "But for now, Will makes me smile," She added after a moment with a small smile, the sort of smiles he used to get from her.

Despite himself, he was happy to hear that. He knew he wasn't worthy of her. He knew he constantly hurt her. Maybe, what she needed was someone who could make her smile. Maybe it was best to let her believe he was gone, to let her believe that rose was from Will, rather than from him. Maybe for once, he needed to just let her be happy.

"I'm glad to hear that," He said softly, wishing he could reveal his true form to her. He hated being in Hook's body, but more than that, he hated being this close to her and not being able to tell her the truth. Clearing his throat, he turned to leave. "Goodnight, then."

"Oh, Killian," She said, stopping him. He remained still, not turning back to her but not moving forward either. "About Will. I was wondering… what happened between you two?"

He swore inwardly. He had no idea what really happened between the pirate and the thief, though he could easily find out. He wished he'd have had the foresight to find out in advance, before getting himself into that situation. The last thing he needed was to be caught unprepared, possibly jeopardising his cover. If she knew he'd used her to get to his dagger… there really would be no hope for them.

Maybe there already wasn't.

"Let's just say…" He said quietly, letting his heart out the way he only did with her, "He took something I cared for."

He could tell his answer confused her, but she didn't try to pry. He said nothing more, but just walked out of the store, counting the steps as he did. He could hear her breathing behind him and wanted nothing more than to go back to her and hold her; to promise he'd never do that to her again. But touching her briefly, feeling her heart beating, was all he could do in that moment. And maybe it was for the best.

Once outside the store, he changed back to his real form. He stood there, by the window, for a long moment, watching as she spoke on the phone and laughed at something Will said. Her fingers were constantly touching the rose, and he couldn't help but feel pain at the thought of the rose becoming something for her and _him_. A rose was _their_ thing, ever since he gave her a rose back in his castle, in the Enchanted Forest.

Perhaps he never should have sent her that rose.

He wondered whether he should leave her some sort of a message, something to let her know that it wasn't Will who sent her the rose, though the thief surely already took credit for it. But she seemed genuinely frightened at the thought of him being back, and he knew that for the time being, he needed to stay away from her. He needed to let her believe that he was gone.

"Like I could ever hurt you, Belle," He whispered, looking at her moving around his store, her fingers touching the objects he'd spent centuries collecting. "I know you think I'm angry, but I'm not. Not with you. I would never hurt you the way you think I will. I love you." He smiled sadly, tears filling his eyes. She _did_ look happy. "Maybe it's true. Maybe I should just let you go. Maybe I'm being selfish, trying to find a way back to you. He makes you happy… That's all I've ever wanted. To make you happy. Maybe I should let you move on."

 _I don't know if I can ever be over him,_ Her words echoed in his mind, and he clenched his fists and closed his eyes, pain filling him. He couldn't just let her go, not while she still loved him. Not while there was still a chance, tiny as it was, that he could get her back. This magic took all he'd ever had – his son, his wife – but maybe he could use it for his own good. Maybe he could use this awful, dark magic to get them back.

To get his happy ending.

"I'm sorry, Belle," He said softly, opening his eyes again to see her disappearing in the back room. "Maybe I should just let you go. But I can't. Not while there's still a chance. But if you tell me that you're happy with Will, that you want to be with him, that you don't love me… I promise, I'll walk away. You deserve to be happy, and if he can make you happy…" He managed a bitter laughter, "Then maybe he's the man you deserve. A better man than me."

He took a shaky breath and turned to leave, heading back towards his cabin. He still had work to do, one that would hopefully lead him back to Belle. There was still a chance he could be happy, and he couldn't let it go, not while she still loved him. Not while there was still hope. Quite possibly the only one he would ever have.

But if that's what get him Belle back, if that's what gets him his happiness… he was willing to do anything for that one last flicker of hope.


End file.
